What Is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

If you aren’t aware of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) yet, the likelihood is that you are going to hear more about it over the coming months and years.

We are in an exciting and progressive era with advances in technology, such as robotics, artificial intelligence and internet of things, which will make the way that we live and work a very different – but exciting – landscape indeed.

Nobody is completely sure exactly how it is going to affect industry or the world in general, but it is coming and will have a huge impact on the types of jobs and skills required in the future. This is a very exciting time and you are in a great position to get ready for it now.

How is this going to affect me?

Experts at the World Economic Forum are anticipating a shift in the way that the workforce operates. For example, it is anticipated that many jobs could be delivered by robots or driven by artificial intelligence in the future.

Conversely, the use of technology and need to innovate could create more jobs than ever before. The World Economic Forum’s Executive summary on jobs suggests that 65% of children entering primary school today will end up working in jobs that do not exist yet.

How can I future-proof my career?

The main point to make is not to panic. The change is not going to happen overnight. We are actually living in Industry 4.0 right now, but these changes are developing steadily.

The World Economic Forum has compiled a list of the top 10 skills you need to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This list compares the skills required to thrive in 2015 to those they predict will be required in 2020.

On the whole, the lists do not vary massively, but the way these skills are put to use may be different in the future. The need to think creatively, problem solve and work with other people will absolutely be as important in 2020, and even 2030, as it is right now and has been for many years. These skills will just be performed with a different focus and potentially, a different purpose.

The good news is, through your degrees and experience, you are likely to possess many of the skills required for these future careers already. The key is how you articulate those skills during the recruitment process and apply them to your work.

How can the Careers and Employability Service help me?

We have a vast array of current knowledge of the labour market and are working closely with industry experts and graduate recruiters to ensure that you have the expert support required when it comes to applying for jobs and developing your career in the future.